Tube cutter



7 Sept. 7, 1948. E; E. CONDON 2,

TUBE CUTTER Filed Oct. 2, 1946 v INVENTOR.

ERNEST E. CONDO/V A T TORNEKS Patented Sept. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

2,448,578 TUBE CUTTER Ernest E. Condon, Hermanville, Md.

Application October 2, 1946, Serial No. 700,658

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a cutter for cutting tubes, pipes, rods, wire or the like, and has for its object the provision of a device of the character described, which can be applied to the work without adjustment-the device being self-centering.

Another object is to provide a cutter in which the knives are easily removable. I

Another object is to provide a tube cutter that will cut tubes without burring, leaving the inside wall of the tube smooth and without grooving or deforming the tube. 3

Another object is to provide a cutter in which the knives are individually spring-pressed, thereby insuring proper and uniform tension on same throughout the cutting operation.

A further object is to provide a cutter that can be operated by one hand.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings where by way of illustration, a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed. It will be understood, however, that changes and modifications can be made in the construction of this invention, which is therefore defined by the appended claims.

While this improved cutter can be made for use with pipes, tubes, rods or wire of any size, the embodiment herein described is particularly suited for articles of small diameter and particularly for use in cutting copper tubing as commonly used in automobiles and refrigeration devices. This embodiment is well suited for use by installers and repair men who desire a small, rugged portable cutter that will accommodate all sizes of small tubing etc., say 1 inch and less O. D. The following specification discloses such a device.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the front side of a cutter embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the rear side of cutter Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the cutter Figs. 1 and 2 with the jaw open.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the cutter Fig. 1 on the line 4, 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line5, 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral l8 denotes a member forming about two-thirds of the body of the device and having a web portion I l to which the jaw I2 is hinged by pin l3. The ringshaped body of the device is thus comprised of the portion in and the jaw I2, and these parts where the jaw is closed define an opening M, the axis of which is transverse the plane of the body.

The jaw l2 has a slot in its periphery IE to receive a catch l6 movably secured in the slot by pin I1. The catch has an opening [8 under 2 one end and a pin l8 at the other engaging a hole 28 in the member ID.

The catch has a web 2| which fits into a slot 22 in thejaw. The catch has an outwardly extending portion. 23, which, when pressed, in. wardlymoves the catch to withdraw pin I}! from" hole 20 to permit the jaw to be moved toopen position as shown in Fig. 3 in a manner. that will be obvious. g .3

Any suitable locking means for the .jaw can be used instead of the foregoing.

The body supports a plurality. of spring-. pressed rollers and knives. In the drawings three sets of rollers and knives are shown and only one set will be described in detail as all are alike.

Referring to Fig. 4, the numeral 24 denotes a bore extending radially through the body .of the. device. This boreis slightly enlarged atits outer 1 end, and internally threaded as shown at 25.

Positionedin bores 24 are the hollow plungers 26 the inner ends 21 of which extend intothe opening M. These inner ends terminate inlugs 28 which are drilled to accommodate the trans-.. verse shafts 29 supporting rollers30, 3| which extending longitudinally of the plungers and.

adapted to receive pins 34 secured to plates 35 which are attached to the body by. screws 36.-

The pins 34 pass through holes 31 in the body.;-.-

It will now be seen that the plungers 26 are free to slide or reciprocate in-the bores 24,. but

are prevented fromialling out of the, body by reason of the pins 34; and that the rollers 30,

3| are revolvably mounted on and move with the plungers. Each plunger 26 is provided with a second plunger 38. spring 39 at its upper end tending to urge the plungers 38 towards the axis of opening ll. ,A

cap 40 threadedly engaging the outer end of each plunger 26 holds the inner plungers 38 and springs 39 therein. The walls of plungers 26 have slots 41 Removably secured to the outer end of. each pin 38 is a knife 43 having a slot 44 to permit the. knives to reciprocate about the necks time,

shafts 2 9 for the rollers. i

A screw and washer 46 overlies eachknife and the adjustment is such that each knife is free to; slideibetween this washer and the outer end faces of rollers 30.

The knives 43 may haveany suitablecuttingedges .or pOlnts such as the-points shownrat 41,-.

end, said Each plunger 38 has-fa;

therein, to receive pins .42 connected :to plungers 38.

which, when brought against the object 3 2 to be cut, will out clean with a minimum of turning eifort.

A spring." .isplaced over thetplungerassembly and is heldagainst cap 40 thereoiiby'yas'cap 4 9? engaging the threads in the body.

To use the device, the jaw I2 is opened as;

shown in Fig. 3 and the object to be out such as the tube 32 is placed against the rollers in'v'tlie.

plunger assemblies secured to the member III of the body. The jaw is now closed so all three of the plunger assemblies are freestormove radially:-

in respect to the axis of the tube 32, the tube will be automatically centered in the device as shown" the-pointsof-the--knives will be forcedinto the 9 wall of the tubewhichwil-l be cut thereby. This cutting wi-ll be' at uniform pressure and is predetermined"by the initial setting of the springs 39 which maybe'adjusted'bymoving the cap unit 40 upy' or down in the upper threaded end of the plunger lll. As th'e'tubeis cut, theknives 42 are gradually forced inwardly through thewal-l of the tube toward the axis thereof 'until the tube is severed;-

It 'will 'be seen-irom the foregoing that not only isthe object tobe; cut automatically centered in the 'device; buteven if fora-turnbr two the-object was not socentered, that the'turning of the devicequickly causes such centering totake-place and'that at-no-time can there be uneven feeding of the knives. Thus the-difficulties-inherent in devices wherethe knives must 'be manuallyfedto the worle as the-cutter isrevolved, are eliminated.

What is claimed is:

1. A cutter comprising a body having an open-- ing-'- therein, a plurality' of spring-pressed plungers'supported on said body, each' of-said plungershaving' a-tube-engaging roller at its innerend" lying; within said opening, and a spring- -pressed" knife mounted on each ofsaid plungers '-=having an edge -adapted-to engage the wall of a'tub'e held'bet-ween -said rollers and ex-' tending" transversely through said opening,

tube: the tube may be cut by'saidknives:

2. A cutter as'claimed in claim-'1 wherein the body"'has a hinged'portion on which one of saidplungers is mounted to permit saidhinged porti'on to swing away from the remainder ofthe whereby upon-relative rotation of said cutter and 1 bodyto' allow a' tube tobe placed in the-opening inethe b'ody andsaidhinged portion closed to cause said tube-tobe centered 'andheldwithin said opening by the" conjoint action=- of" said plungers.

33 A cutter'as claimed in "claim '1 "wherein said body is ring-shaped and has a hinged arcuate section'carryingone of said'plungers andadapted to be moved to open said ring to permit 'theinsertion: of a tube transversely therein," and lockin'g wmeans for securing said'arcuate section inclosed position'and thereby holding said tube-in' position to be cut by said cutters.

4i.-.:A cutt'er comprisingra-body having a central openingiand. a plurality aOffibOICS in: said-Lbody=ex'-' plunger in" eachof said bores, each of saidtending radially from said opening and perpendicular to the axis thereof, a plunger slidably mounted within each of said bores and extending intosaid opening, andv havinggai slotted wall, a spring for each of said plungers tendingjto urge same inwardly toward the axis of said opening, a

second plunger slidably mounted within each of said first plungers, a spring for each of said second plungers tending to urge same inwardly toward the axis. of said opening, a pin connected to each of "said second plungers and extending outwardly; tlirough'zsaid slots in the walls of said first plungers, and a knife carried by each of said pinsand" having a cutting edge extending into said central opening beyond the ends of said first plungers therein.

5. A cutter comprising a body having a central opening therein anda" plurality of bores in said" body-extendingradially from said opening and perpendicular to the axis thereof, a'hollow cap' for each of said bores in threaded connectionwith said body and-"extending outwardly therefrom, a tubular plunger in each of said" bores having a slotted Wall 'and having its inner end extending' into the central opening-in said' body,

springs within-said caps tending to urge-said plungers inwardly, pins supported on said body" and 1 extending inwardlyinto saidslots' in the walls of said tubular plungersto limit the'movement of "said'plungersin saidbores, a second" plunger and a compression spring therefo'r'in side each of said tubular plungers; and'ineans extending through slots in the walls of said tub'u lar plungers and" connected to said second plungers for movably supporting said" knives.

6. A cutter comprising a' body having a central opening through the-plane-of the'body anda' plurality of bores extending through said "body and communicating with said opening therein,- a'

plungers having a roller having its axis parallel tov-theaxis ofsaid"opening,-'a spring-foreach of said plungers tending to urge'same toward the axis-oisaid opening, meansto prevent rotary -movement of said plungers as they slidein'said' bores, knivescarried by said-plungers, saidk'nives projecting inwardly toward theaxis of said openingvrand beyond said rollers, said knives being. yieldably mounted formotion parallel to said plungers, and a spring connected toeach of said knives and tending to urge same toward theaxis of'said "opening, whereby a 'tubecenteredbe-' tween said rollers may be cut by said springpressed knives.

7.' In a cutter, a body having anopening, therein, tube-engaging rollers insaid openinggm'eans' on" said body for yieldably holding said rollers in engagement with a body to be cut when located between said rollers and extending through said opening, and spring-pressed knives ca'r'riedon* said means, saidknives adapted'toengage a'tube, to cut through same as said knives are revolved about said' tube by=rotatingsaid bodyth'ereab'out.

ERNEST E. CONDONI B/EFERENCES'CITED I The following references are of record in. the file of this patent:.

UNITED 'fiTATES PATENTS,

Number Name Date.

1,092,304 Strickler Apr; 7; 1914': 

